PREY-Rafe Cameron

Chapter eight

I slowly opened sleepy eyes and squinted to protect them from the sunshine pouring through the widows. A yawn was creeping up through my lungs and as I inhaled, the smell of sweet perfume filled my nose. Sarah's bed was so comfortable, I couldn't bear the thought of getting up. My body melted perfectly into the soft sheets and the fluffy pillows gave me a new sense of solace.

I lazily turned my head in order to see if Sarah was still asleep. To my surprise there was an empty space next to me but the dent in the sheets made it clear that she had gotten up recently. I then slowly lifted the covers from my bare legs and spun so they were hanging off the side of the bed. I used my arms to push my torso up but this sudden movement caused my head to flush. I winced as a sharp pain exploded through my brain, my head had a heartbeat, signaling me that I may have drank too much last night--again.

I felt the coldness of the floor when I placed my bare feet on the ground, this made me wish that I had a fuzzy pair of slippers.Making my way over to the vanity, I rubbed my heavy eyes and peered at my own reflection. I studied myself in the mirror gazing at my messy bun and the stray strands of hair hanging out from everywhere.The large grey OBX crewneck I borrowed draped over my thighs and covered the nike shorts I was wearing . All of the clothes that I had were Sarahs so I felt kind of weird wearing them--I don't know, she's been so nice but I really didn't know her well. The only things that I knew about her was that she had a psycho brother, she was dating John B, and that she was a kook princess.

My stomach growled at me and I placed my hand over it--My body ached from the hangover and my craving for food did not ease my feelings of sickness. I dragged my feet and opened the wooden door slowly. I had a deep gut feeling that Topper and Kelce spent the night too so I did not want to have an awkward encounter with them. I felt like a zombie, wandering the halls lazily, looking for any sign of Sarah.

As I made my way through the large estate my ears caught the sound of dulled voices--I was too far away however to understand them in the slightest. I cocked my head curiously and started to follow the muted chatter. With each step I took the more I realized that this was not a pleasant conversation--it was Rafe and Sarah. The wood floors under my feet creaked loudly with each stride I took and this made me think my spying skills were dwindling.

The room that the arguing siblings were in didn't have a door but an open entrance way. I quietly tiptoed closer until I could see a crack into the room. Rafe's back was turned towards me, I could see his hands moving which only emphasized his frustration. I could only see half of Sarah because her brother's large figure was blocking most of her. She was very angry--her arms were crossed and her eyebrows were furrowed with outrage. "It was there, it was there and now it isn't" Rafe stammered, his hands running through his hair "Dad trusted me with it ok? Dad trusted me and now..."

Rafe turned and started pacing. I immediately flattened myself against the wall and squeezed my eyes shut praying that he didn't see me. "I don't know what you want me to do about that Rafe" Sarah exclaimed, her tone laced in annoyance "It's not my fault that you can't find it!"

With my ears I could hear a dramatic shift and aggravated stomping. "It was those dirty pogues, they were crawling all over here last night because YOU invited them Sarah" Rafe stated accusingly.

My curiosity overwhelmed me, I was itching to see what was happening not just hear it "Don't you dare" Sarah responded angrily

I steadily moved my head closer to the edge of the frame, advancing slowly to see the confrontation. With my change of position, I could now see both of the Cameron siblings--they were both attempting to intimate each other by making their figures larger. The one difference was Sarah seemed more nervous, she was masking it with her dominant stance but she was defensive--like she was covering for something.

Rafe extended himself, so he towered over her, and pointed his finger "You, you are friends with them" at this he backed off and he started to tap the side of his head. This, this is the Rafe that absolutely terrified me to the core--my heart started to beat faster, getting nervous for Sarah "who knows, could my own SISTER betray me?"

My eyes widened as he took an aggressive step towards her, this caused her to step back--I could see the wave of fear wash over her face as Rafe did this. I then heard an unexpected shift in the room. It sounded like someone had just stood up from a sofa. "Hey Rafe, man, calm down," Topper said, walking over to his friend and placing his hand on his shoulder.

This shocked me, I had no idea that anyone else was in the room. I then quickly threw myself against the wall again, hoping that I would remain unnoticed. I held my breath with anticipation, yearning to learn more about what they were talking about.

"Don't worry we will all keep an eye out for the key alright. You will be the first one to know if we see it" I heard another familiar voice assured the aggravated boy, Kelce, "And those pogues will be the first people we check"

I rolled my eyes, there is no way that they would steal anything. My train of thought then wandered back to the previous night, when I caught John B and Pope in Rafe's room--were they looking for the key?

I thought that this would be the appropriate time to make my presence known. I peeled myself off the wall and walked into the frame of the room and leaned my shoulder on it. I crossed my arms and raised my eyebrows in curiosity. Kelce and Topper were in a huddle with Rafe trying to assure and calm him down. Sarah was standing there looking for an excuse to leave the hostel room. I cleared my throat and everyone's heads whirled towards me. "Good Morning" I pronounced

At this, Sarah relaxed and her frown curled into a relieved smile. She quickly dashed over to me "Hey Andy, how did you sleep? Do you want some coffee?" She placed her hand on my back, turning me around, and started leading me to the kitchen.

"Wait" a deep voice commanded "Not so fast"

Sarah sharply released her breath and we stopped in our trail. She shut her eyes for a brief moment, as if she was preparing herself, then turned around "What now Rafe?"

The Cameron boy looked directly at me and started to march over to us, his eyes narrowed. With each moment it took him to approach me, the more my chest tightened and the more my mouth curved into a timid frown "Andy, did you see any of those nobodys take anything of mine last night?"

I took a moment to act like I was thinking--I placed my finger on my cheek and looked up "Hmmmm you have to be more specific Rafe, all you stuck up kooks look the same" I smiled smugly, crossing my arms. I couldn't snitch on the pogues, and if I were to tell anyone what I saw last night, it sure as hell wouldn't be the psycho boy standing in front of me.

My reply seemed to get under his skin because now his eyes reflected nothing but fury. He stepped closer to me, narrowing the gap in between us but I did not move--I could not even show the slightest sign of deception. "This is not a fucking game" His voice grew louder with every word. I looked up at him--Rafe was now towering over me, his breath heavy and laced with anger "So I'm going to ask you one more time and you are not going to lie to me. Did you see anyone take anything of mine?"

A chill ran down my body, his words were dripping with venom and it caused me to break eye contact. I looked down at my shoes but then immediately looked back up into his cold eyes. Without a hint of fraud I narrowed my gaze and clearly responded "I didn't see anything last night"